Learning to Harmonize
by DenizenofTwilight
Summary: "This was why he and Shiki belonged together. Though they often argued like an old married couple, there were moments like this—when they were in perfect synch—and the world, too, could hear their beautiful music." The story of a pair of Partners, and the love they found for each other: the story of Neku and Shiki's meeting and beyond. Prompts taken from WishingFire's challenge.


**Learning to Harmonize **

**Death**

It was a very strange thing to Neku that even though he'd been in the UG for three weeks now… well, the truth was, he'd never felt deader than he did when Shiki was ferreting out that she had been his Entry Fee. Suddenly, he felt frozen, cold, and fearful of what would happen next. In fighting for his life, he'd felt fine, but now? Not so much.

Of course, when Shiki waved her arms frantically and spluttered, "… I mean, this isn't like you at all!" Neku knew then, more than he had any other time in the last three weeks, that things would be alright; after all, Shiki panicked at things that made her scared and happy, didn't she? Smiling a little to himself now, Neku hoped he'd see Shiki cheerful and frantic around him in the near future.

"… You missed a lot. And I mean a lot, Shiki." And though he never would have even thought it three weeks ago (and wouldn't admit it now), Neku hoped there'd be more opportunities for her to miss. More than that, he wanted to share some opportunities and moments with her. Even though Shiki didn't seem to realize it, her Mr. Mew plush seemed to.

Put somewhat at ease, Neku ran with his two Partners to destroy his idol, but more than that, they ran to get another chance at life. Neku finally understood that life was worth living, and he was getting his and his friends' lives back.

**Speechless**

"You're so stupid, Stalker!" Neku snarled, as their argument continued to heat up even more than it already had. Slamming his hands on the stupid table he was meant to be cleaning (since he was supposed to be on cleanup duty that day), Neku dared, effing dared, Shiki to challenge him whilst he glared daggers at her, and curled his hand into a fist. Though he wasn't really paying attention, he was faintly sure his friends were in the background mumbling things. He was also fairly certain that if he weren't so mad at Shiki, he'd be strangling the prissy son of a bitch. Why the hell he even went to their school was beyond hi-

"Really, Neku?!" Shiki challenged, as she heatedly undid her tie (no doubt it was making her too hot, as she was now flushed with anger). "You think a car wash will bring in sufficient funds? Only if perverts like you are behind the paying. And since I'm not sexy enough to clean cars in a tank top and shorts-"

"Neku!" Eri growled, now getting into the conversation herself. "You had better argue with Shiki about what she just said! She's dang pretty and if you, her boyfriend, won't tell her tha-"

Though Neku now felt his irritation at Eri growing tenfold (which he instantly tried to retract, since he thought he had become a bit more patient since the Game), Neku did have to acknowledge she had a point. In fact, he wasn't even entirely sure why he and Shiki were even fighting. One minute he'd been suggesting they should have Shiki and Eri do a fashion show to gain funds for a fieldtrip, and the next _this_ had happened! He'd been trying to help Shiki, too! First with the stupid fashion show idea (that had been vetoed), and now with the carwash idea. But was Shiki grateful at all? No! She was sold on a bake sale idea, and-

"I'm not apologizing unless she does!" Neku said every bit like a child, as he crossed his arms over his chest, and took to glaring at Eri, too. "I'm just trying to help her, but she has to act like _this_, and I-"

"Oh, Neku, dear. You really don't believe that's why she's perturbed, do you? I'm disappointed in you, Nek-kun!"

"What?!" Whirling around on Joshua, Neku was about to pull out one of his Pins, and hurl it at the asshole (his lack of Imagination in the RG be damned), but before he could, he suddenly found himself being hit with something instead. Reaching down to pick up the thing, Neku found that Beat had had Mr. Mew for some reason, and had opted to throw him at him now. Huh. That was weird.

Even weirder was that Rhyme was giggling like she knew something, and Joshua was wearing that knowing smirk, and-

"Yo, Phones! Wha'chu doin'? Take thi' an' get closer ta Shiki!"

Giving Beat a peculiar look, Neku was prepared to do anything, but what Beat had just indicated. However, when he noted that Shiki was suddenly being really shy, quiet, and teetering on his toes, he thought he finally understood what everything was about. Face-palming, Neku did (albeit a bit embarrassedly) what Beat had told him to, and walked over to Shiki to hand her her cherished stuffie, and hold her hand. "This is about me not kissing you on our date, right? I'm sorry, Shiki. I was nervous, and stupid, and-"

"No, Neku!" Shiki said urgently, as she shook her head to and fro, and her glasses dipped down to cover her nose. "I've been snapping at you for no reason, and I'm sorry. I knew that was why, and yet-"

"Shiki-" No sooner had Neku said her name, did he suddenly find himself being assaulted by a spool of thread Eri had thrown. It having pushed him just the slightest bit, Neku at first had to wonder why the crazy fashionistas were always assaulting him, but as Shiki wrapped her arms around Neku, and deepened the kiss he'd unintentionally initiated, he found he didn't care in the slightest.

_This _was why he and Shiki belonged together. Though they often argued like an old married couple, there were moments like this—when they were in perfect synch—and the world, too, could hear their beautiful music.

Yawning in a seemingly bored air, Joshua remarked rather dryly, "And finally safe from their bickering, I can have some peace and quiet at last." Which, was of course, completely destroyed when Beat saw Rhyme had stood up on her tiptoes to kiss Joshua on the cheek.

**Alone**

The moment that Shiki had met Neku, she had been able to tell something about him instantly: the fact that he was an orphan just like she was.

The way he clutched his headphones so purposefully, spelled it to Shiki more than anything. After all, once upon a time, she'd been an orphaned little girl clutching her Mr. Mew by the paw, as the rain poured down in torrents all around her.

That Shiki had been so hurt and alone, that she hadn't been like Neku at all. No, instead she'd been his complete opposite, and as such she'd wanted to reach out to everyone; it was for that reason… that reason she'd ended up jealous of Eri. Eri! The person that had been nicer to her than anyone.

But that was all water under the bridge now, wasn't it? She had what she wanted now, as the cost of her Entry Fee had given it to her, and now she was trying to get better. When she got her life back, things would be as they should have always been. She was sure of it!

Still, as Neku tuned everyone out around him in his obvious hurt, Shiki thought more than once that week of telling him her secret. That she was like him—just as messed up as he was—and that the way he was acting was a desperate cry for help.

As it was, the words never left her mouth. Though Shiki told herself later that it was because she knew Neku wanted to be alone, and thus he wouldn't want to know she was like him, she had to wonder. Neku… he brought something out in her, and she wasn't sure it was entirely a good thing.

And thus, Shiki began looking at the screenshot of her old self and Eri—her new self—more and more. Could it be that, despite having everything she wanted, she was still flawed?

It wouldn't be until that large, food-loving Reaper appeared that Shiki would get the gist of it all. She _was_ terrible, wasn't she? And what right would she have had to approach Neku about things when, when-

As Neku broke through Shiki's inner turmoil, and told her that he liked her just the way she was (and many other nice things, as well), Shiki finally thought she understood things. Really, it had been Neku meant to help her all along. Not the other way around. And he was good for her because he _did_ help. Really, Neku had helped her, Beat, and Rhyme all succeed in their Missions, so maybe… Maybe Neku's job was to be a fallen angel. To help others, when he himself seemed lost.

Well, if that were the case, Shiki would stay with him in his mundane existence as long as he needed! If his one wing was broken, she'd break one of her own so they could fly together.

Deep within her heart, Shiki knew it was all meant to be this way. She had been meant to die and meet Neku, because… in his presence, she'd never felt less alone. She truly, truly hoped it was the same for him, too. And as she thought it was, it was for that reason she'd demanded not to be separated from Neku, and told Megumi that she'd play the Game with him again.

Together, they could win. Together, they could do anything.

**Door**

Shiki was, ironically, grasping for her doorknob as a mysterious Reaper talked about Light, Darkness, the Heart of all Worlds, and stuff Shiki couldn't even begin to fathom. Not that there was any stock in what a crazy person said (even if this person was one of Joshua's own people). Her lips pressing into a frown, Shiki tried to not think on how her friend had betrayed her.

As a gun was pointed at her head, and tears streamed down her face, Shiki found she was thinking only of two things. One, how this person was wearing a yellow hoodie compared to the usual garb the Reapers' wore, but most of all, she was thinking of Neku and how she didn't want him to come and save her. If he did, he would die, too. After a near month of him fighting in the Reapers' Game, she wouldn't allow him to- To be Joshua's pawn again.

In the end, though, he did end up coming for her. Through her window Neku dove into a tuck roll, as he encircled Shiki in his protective arms. At once, Shiki was full of such happiness and hope, but also anger and fear, that her mind became alight with different imaginings. As such, a certain cat came to life on Shiki's dresser, and karate chopped the mysterious man right in the kisser.

Not wasting anytime, Shiki grabbed Mr. Mew, and Neku's hands, and jumped from the window with them, and began to sprint. As they ran for their lives, they had no time to do anything, but hold onto, and worry about, each other.

Finding Joshua, Neku and Shiki soon learned that it wasn't Yoshiya behind the attacks at all. Though she and her friends were in mortal danger, things had slowed down a bit for the moment, and so Shiki took time for one thing and one thing alone. Kissing him on the cheek, she thanked Neku for coming for her… Before she punched him in the mouth for risking his life, anyway. Just for that one moment, they were normal, fun loving teenagers.

Just for a moment, but it _was_ a moment and opportunity all the same.

**Puberty**

Neku blinked once, twice, three times, as this weird boy—Sora? Was that what the cloaked man had called him?—talked to him in a squeaky, high voice that seemed to waver the more excited he got.

Raising an eyebrow, the headphone clad teen had to wonder just what the fuss was about this kid. Seriously. He was supposed to leave his friends'—Shiki's—safety to his betrayal of this kid. What the hell? Well, if Sora wasn't going to put up a fight about things, then neither was Neku

But, then again, this boy was so kind and trusting, that that did give Neku pause. It was like when he… when he'd strangled… Shiki, she-

And it was the last thought that steeled Neku's resolve right there. Shiki's life was on the line. He couldn't think about himself, this kid, or anyone else. To protect her, Neku would eagerly betray the better person she'd turned him into: the person he'd become. Idly, Neku wondered if she'd do the same for him if it ever came down to it.

"You know, I like games," Sora muttered, as he made his way with Neku toward the mysterious man, Xehanort (and to the words, Neku had to roll his eyes).

To Joshua, Neku probably would have said something along the lines of, "Go f yourself. And not f for fabulous." To Sora, who he still felt a bit guilty for betraying, he said instead, "Shut up."

**Mentor**

"You know, Neku," Shiki muttered with a smile on her face, as Neku pushed her on an old wooden swing on the outskirts of Shibuya, "I think this might be one of the most pleasant things we've ever done together."

Neku laughed at this, and instead of pushing her on the swing, he decided to hop up and stand right behind her. Swinging together now—with the wind tousling his hair, but more importantly, Shiki's strawberry scented locks thrown into his face—Neku had to admit that she had every bit of it right, but it wasn't really for the childish activity they were speaking. It was for another thing entirely.

Neku was going to mentor Shiki in standing up for herself better.

As Neku began to lose a bit of his balance, and Shiki slid backwards as the swing rose up, Neku soon found himself falling off the back of the swing, and sliding down the pole that held the ancient thing together.

Smiling just the same, Neku said (without even a bit of gusto), "You see? That's something you could insult someone about if it had happened to you. Like, if I had knocked you off, you could have told me to get my head out of my ass, and to have made sure you had a proper handle on-"

Though Neku honestly had a point, and Shiki seemed to be paying attention to the best of her ability, he had to throw up a hand in defeat when he said, "handle". At that moment, he knew he'd lost her. At that moment, Shiki got off the swing she'd still been occupying, and situated herself in Neku's arms. "This kind of handle?" Shiki asked, as she batted her eyes ridiculously, and it was somehow the ridiculousness that made her adorably cute.

"Only if it's with me, but I guess I can consent to that kind of handling, grasshopper." As Shiki leaned ever closer to Neku, and brushed her lips against his, he knew they weren't going to get any work done today. Who would have thought teaching Shiki to be mean would end up being so nice?

**Kleptomaniac **

Neku blamed Shiki for it, really. Because she was so damned interested in every sort of fabric she could use, she would often go up to it when they were shopping together, and after having a thoughtful look appear in her brown-green eyes, she'd turn to Neku pleadingly. While it was true he'd often cave and buy her all the material her little heart desired… It was a different ramification that had him all worried now. He'd become every bit the kleptomaniac.

"Neku, you might think it's annoying to want to save all your compositions to flashdrives now, but you'll thank me for it later! Even when you have three copies of it via the original, the one you saved to the thumbdrive, and the version you saved for yourself… well, you'll be glad that you won't be able to lose it!" Shiki said rather assuredly, as she pulled at one of Mr. Mew's ears, and looked directly into Neku's eyes without backing down. She'd come such a long way in her self-confidence. And she _was_ right. Perhaps she knew better than anyone what it was like to lose her work. Because when someone bought one of her and Eri's designs, it was gone for good.

However, it was not such a thought that made the angsty teen run towards Shiki, and hug her from behind. It was the thought of all he'd done so he wouldn't lose his friends permanently. All he'd done to keep them safe from the Game forever. So maybe… maybe it was okay to be a kleptomaniac to that one end.

As Shiki turned around to face Neku with Mr. Mew between them as a buffer, he kissed Shiki's nose, and he knew: he knew that he could never do to be without this stalker.

"Love you, Shiki." And even though Neku whispered the words so quietly that Shiki couldn't even dream of hearing them, Neku thought that maybe, just maybe, she felt him whisper it against her forehead. Maybe in that, she'd know what he'd said, thought, and dreamed of.

**Mermaid**

Shiki looked at Neku and Joshua's little argument with a raise of her eyebrow. At the moment, Joshua and Neku seemed to be in some particular rant about how they were pretty much living a Pokémon life, and how Neku was blue, and Joshua (here on known as Red), his rival always had to mess things up for him! And then they were talking even more of how Shiki was green, and the whole thing was just very amusing to Shiki. Especially since Joshua had told them of their alter-egos in the parallel world that one time.

Though Shiki tried her best to be humorous, and insert little quips into the conversation here and there, the truth was that she didn't know much about the Pokémon games. She did, however, know more about the anime. As such, she supposed she could see Neku as Ash, Joshua as Gary, and herself as Misty.

Yep. She could definitely see herself as the Water Trainer. Idly, Shiki wondered if she'd ever told Neku about her dream when she was five; her dream of being a mermaid.

As Shiki dipped her feet almost longingly into a water puddle in front of her, she heard Joshua laughing. Then, looking at Neku, she found he was far too interested in her bare legs. It was so like Neku, the pervert, to look at her legs this way. And in that, Shiki thought if she were a mermaid, and ever did have a tailfin, Neku'd probably become lost to staring at it, too.

Giggling slightly, Shiki tried to bring up such a thing to Neku, but it seemed he was too engrossed in arguing with Joshua. Huffing slightly, and splashing water at her boyfriend, Shiki gave him at least that hint as to why she'd be giving him the cold shoulder for the rest of the day.

**Moonlight**

"Neku? Do you think we'll be like this forever?" Shiki pondered, as she and Neku raced their bicycles in the Scramble Crossing. As it was well past midnight, the moon had long since come out, and as it shone its dull and mysterious light on Shiki to make her look all the more enchanting, Neku thought he knew well that her fear would prove to be in vain.

"Of course we will, Stalker," Neku tsked, as he popped a wheelie, and then opted to ride in circles around Shiki. He knew when he showed off all his tricks like this, it intimidated her so she wouldn't want to try anything dangerous herself… until he stopped completely, and she then took the moment to show him up completely. Yep. Mr. H had been right. He was wrong to have thought the world only needed him; when Shiki decimated him so completely, but so beautifully in her blossoming confidence, he couldn't imagine wanting anything else in the world.

"You're right. The Game did bond us. But do you ever fear we're only together because of it?"

As Neku looked at Shiki seriously (for the first time that evening), he at first wanted to demand to know what she was thinking, and then assure her that she was being an idiot. However, when he noted the bag of clothes she'd put on the ground beside her to bike with him, he opted for the simple approach. After all, the answer was right in her gesture.

"Shiki, we mean everything to each other. It's evident by how you put your fashion—your dream—aside to ride bikes with me. Maybe the Game led us to each other. But it's not for the Game that we're like this, and if you ever worry again, I'll just destroy this place even more to ward off your worries!"

And as Neku drove skid marks on the ground of the Scramble, the place Players often woke up at before Missions, Shiki had to laugh, and acknowledge he was probably right.

"Okay. I don't really care if you destroy Josh's property, but don't tear this place up too much. It led us to finding each other, you know."

And as Shiki blushed the slightest bit at Neku's words, he found he too had to flush at the beauty of her smile.

**Lust**

At experiencing the strangest bout of lust in his life, Neku had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Sure he'd had lust for blood before (mainly when an infuriating Josh-Josh, as Nao would have called him, was around), but the moment some punk had taken Mr. Mew out of Shiki's hands and admired it whilst saying, "'Tis such a cute piggy," Neku wanted nothing more than to use his own pistol and Jesus like beams to show this loser that only _he _could steal Mr. Mew from Shiki. Only he could call the damned thing Piggy!

"Dude, are you stupid? If you were smart, you'd call the thing, Swine," Neku said with a blush upon hiding beneath his bangs. If he could just discreetly get this guy to call it something other than Piggy, everything would be fine. And if he could do it discreetly, maybe Shiki wouldn't even-

"Oh, Neku!" Shiki trilled, as she danced around the guy who had his arm too tightly around Shiki's shoulder for Neku's tastes. "You're so silly. You don't need to have random homicidal urges, you know" she tysked before peppering kisses on his cheek.

Somehow, it was that Shiki had unwittingly echoed words that Neku had once said to Joshua… that he knew everything was going to be okay. He and Shiki got each other on a level no one else could comprehend, and… well, he didn't think he'd ever smiled wider, or blushed more, from Shiki's silly kisses then in that moment.

Pinching his cheek for a different sort of reason, Neku was very glad to find he felt it, and that he was, in fact, alive.

And sitting a few seats away from their desks, Eri giggled quietly to herself. All the while counting out the yen she owed the new exchange student for finally pushing her friends to get together.

**Not Sure Why**

"Neku, Neku, Neku," Rhyme said with a shake of her head, as she set to work dusting her too orange room (at least for Neku's tastes, anyway).

Though he didn't like being talked to like a child, he had to admit there was a reason he'd come to Rhyme for advice, so maybe it was best to hear the girl out. Besides, at least her room wasn't overly pink like Eri's. And at least she was doing normal things, like dusting, instead of really annoying humming like Beat.

Yes, he should have definitely been thankful for that, at least (and the fact that Rhyme was alive, of course). With all of that, Neku knew he should have been able to express his problems to her easily, and yet somehow the words still stuck to his throat. "I don't know why one has to regress," Neku finally got out in an annoyed tone.

Though he hated to admit that was what was happening to him, it was what it was. And since he hated the idea so much, maybe Rhyme would end up clashing with him, like Mr. H said, so they'd find a way to look at things differently.

Yeah… He wasn't sure what he was talking about anymore, either.

"Look, it's not that I think friends hold me back anymore. It's more the other way around. I'm bad for Shiki, because if I ever enter the Game again, she'll be my Fee, and I-"

"Que sera sera, Neku," Rhyme said earnestly and delicately, as she came to sit by the boy on her bed. In fact, she said it so gently that Neku thought that had they had to be in some old black and white movie. Shaking the thought from his head, Neku opted to stop thinking about his beloved art, and instead the little girl who was trying to help him.

"Some things are destined to happen, and there's nothing we can do about it, but that doesn't mean we should stop trying to make things better. Like you and Shiki, for instance. You have to believe that you can be with her without hurting her. Love is never wrong, Neku. It saw you through when she was your Entry Fee before, so believe it can again. Love's stronger than you take it for."

And though there was much wrong with what Rhyme had said, and Neku was itching to debate with her, he suddenly noted that Rhyme had not looked at him once during her explanation. And in that, he knew what he had to do. Rhyme knew there was no reason to challenge him, because she was right. And Neku… Neku respected her wisdom enough not to question her.

"Thanks, Rhyme," Neku said, as he ruffled her locks, and took to helping her dust the rest of her room. At that, Rhyme did look up at him, and she smiled.

**Tea**

"No way in hell am I having tea with you, Stalker!" Neku shouted, as he dug his heels into the ground, and tried desperately to fight off Shiki's fervent pushes towards the seated Mr. Mew, a million other plushies, and a round table.

Pulling out one of his Player Pin since desperate times called for desperate measures, Neku dropped it on the edge of Shiki's nose. In her distraction, he was fortunately able to get away from her and her insanity, but as she let out a little squeak, and covered her nose with his hands, he instantly felt guilty. Wow. He was a dick, wasn't he? Sure Shiki could pull off the Rudolph thing well, but-

"Look, I'm sorry, Shiki," Neku whispered (god this was embarrassing!), as he ran a hand through his hair, and began walking away from her. It was better this way, truly. If he didn't face her, he might recant the words he needed to say. If he was facing her, well-

Not noting that Shiki was being strangely silent, Neku continued on as fast and as messily as someone might be in spluttering out supercalifragilisticexpialid ocious for the first time. "I'm dumb, Shiki. I know. I try to flirt, but sometimes I go into old-Neku-mode and accidentally hurt you. Please forgive me, I- Gah!"

Laughing like a silly little schoolgirl (and she was sure as hell acting like one!), Shiki placed a blond wig on Neku's head, and a blond one on herself. As Neku's heart began to restart itself, he was able to note that the wig was very yellow. Growling under his breath, he was forced to acknowledge his worst fear was coming true. "You're having us reenact Len and Rin twincest, aren't you?"

And oddly enough, though Shiki got mad all the time for Neku calling Mr. Mew a cat, she didn't seem angry in the slightest that Neku had just used such slander on one of her favorite pairings. Instead, she just glared at him with the icy gaze he himself was known for.

Ugh. They really were rubbing off on each other, weren't they? And where Neku hadn't killed Shiki, Neku couldn't help but feel this excursion of Shiki's would kill him. If only he could cut the "Trust your Partner" crap he'd learned from Mr. H. Ugh.

As it was, he'd already apologized to Shiki for the day, and it wouldn't have made sense to need to again, so…

Patting Neku's hand in an almost sympathetic gesture (oh god! She knew the horror she was about to inflict on him. This was bad. So bad!), the bespectacled girl muttered, "You really should have put up a better fight, my Servant of Evil."

Neku's response to that was to slump his head on the table, and spray hot tea all over himself. As he now smiled evilly at Shiki, he had to wonder if the tea in his teeth looked like blood. How fitting. How effing fitting!

**Legs**

Desperately, Neku surveyed the elevator in the apartment complex that Shiki lived. He'd had the most peculiar dream the night before: about Shiki getting caught in the elevator. In the end, she was almost able to get out via the emergency exit, but in the process, bruised the lovely, long legs that Neku loved so much. Really, he knew he was being stupid. It was just a dumb dream. But knowing the powers of Rhyme's dreams… Well, Neku was going to make certain that nothing happened to the ditzy Shiki in one of thosemetal death traps.

"What is wrong with you?!" the angry teen growled, as he all but strangled the inspector who'd gone out to lunch three minutes after giving the elevator a terrible look over. "I know how to read! That little microscopic sign says this hasn't been checked in five years! It stalls all the time, and-"

As Neku trailed off mid-rant, and came up with new things to complain about with the elevator staff, he was unaware of the yen being exchanged, reluctantly on Shiki's part, between Neku's girlfriend and the Composer.

"And so, dear, you see to never bet against the Composer. After all, dreams can be premonitions, but mostly… remember I still have my Imprinting powers."

Sighing irritated and amused all at the same time, Shiki put a hand to her head (she felt a migraine coming on), and continued where the Composer had left off. "But you altered it. It was Neku, not me, who was going to hurt his legs in his silliness, which means-"

"Yo! Phones 's more feminine tha' Prissy! He's gonna get his lon' legs stuck in the escalate' shaft!" Clearly, Beat had bellowed this upon hearing the last part of Joshua and Shiki's discussion. Sighing softly, Shiki hoped that people wouldn't come up with some weird innuendo about Neku and her from that statement…

And her friends, well they were idiotic, but they were her friends.

Still, she knew well that she'd never bet against Josh again. Poor, poor Neku. She would have to doctor his ankles when they were done. After all, Shiki felt if she tried to stop Joshua's plan now, she would wake up to find herself thinking her name was Mr. Mew the Pig. Imprinting was a bitch, indeed.

"And why Neku and Josh shouldn't be friends," Shiki muttered to herself partly to irk Joshua, as he seemed to be leaning too close to her now. "I mean, really, Josh. Everyone knows Twilight sucks, and using a word from it… Neku would be disappointed, indeed."

**Who Are You?**

Shiki knew that it was really very selfish, but the moment she'd learned that Neku had amnesia—that his memories were the most important thing to him—she was surprised to find she was glad he remembered her. That he'd never once have to ask her who she was.

And during their next Mission, Shiki tried to decipher her reasons for that, all the while they chased the tech around. Why on earth would she care if Neku knew her or not? Of course, there were the things Mr. H had told her—to trust her Partner and all—but Shiki couldn't help but feel there was more to it than that.

On one hand, she thought maybe she _should_ have wished he'd forget her, too. If his memories meant so much to him, and he forgot her, wouldn't that mean he cared about her, even the slightest bit?

Why, though?! Why did she want cruel, cold, almost-murderer-of-hers-Neku to know her?

The answer to the question came to her after, ironically, Neku learned of her own Entry Fee. All her life, she'd been invisible. No one knew her name, or if they did, they'd easily forget her, anyway. It was always Eri, the designer that so beautifully wore the clothes they made, that people remembered. Not the seamstress.

So… so maybe it made sense that she wanted to be in Neku's life. Neku, who was so distant that maybe with his reclusive-ness… It would lead to her being the only person in his eyes. It made perfect sense, she thought. She and Neku were both broken, so maybe they were meant to help each other and fit together. She'd help him make friends, and he'd help her be more forthcoming.

And yet… it wasn't for that reason that she tried to touch Neku's hand, as she was about to come back to life. As tears fell from her eyes, she understood well that she'd fallen in love with the boy who was as backwards as she was. Backwards…and yet, that was why they belonged. Together, they were perfect (despite what the world said). Together, they could march on.

Yes, she loved Neku, and in realizing that, Shiki soon understood what she really should have wanted all along. Because when she loved Eri and Neku so desperately… when they loved her so much (and she could see so clearly now that they did), what other nonsense did she need? Nothing. The answer was nothing. And in that answer, Shiki had finally been cleared of her jealousy.

Joshua's Game (who she'd later learn was responsible for it all), sure worked wonders. And Shiki knew without a shadow of a doubt, that if she ever entered the Reaper's Game again, her new Fee would be love. The love she showed 777 when she chose to put them above the Mission. The love she had in her heart: The love she had for Neku.

And though Shiki knew that love could put Neku in danger in another Game (and _in_ another Game, it could be in reverse; _his_ love for her could put her in danger), Shiki found she didn't think it a bad thing in the slightest.

Love and life was a truly beautiful thing. So how could it ever be wring? And so, she would wait at Hachiko for Neku everyday until he came back. Everyday so she could experience more life and love with the man who had tried to take her life, but had really given it to her.

**End**

In the end, Shiki thought that Neku had chosen the perfect place for their first date. It was an enchanting place, surely. And as Shiki bit into her lip with a slight blush and smile, she had to note that it was a great way to close the Game chapter of their lives. But an even better place for beginnings.

Neku jammed with an "invisible guitar" in his hands, while running along the giant piano steps on the floor. As he did so, Shiki knew he was playing one of his own melodies. And Shiki, well, she was enjoying dancing like a lunatic on the keyboard with Neku, and taking in it and the room's glorious design, of course. The bizarre house was an interesting sight, indeed. Like the upside down room over there.

"C'mon, Shiki. Pay attention! You have to jump to the beat!" And at that, Shiki had to rear her head back, and laugh her heart out, as she grabbed onto Neku, and allowed him to begin leading her. She was never good at rhythm or whatnot. Especially when she had to time her jumps to get it to work. There was a reason that Neku had had to figure out their "groove" in the Game, after all. And though his help had been great, then, his love was even better now. And there was no denying they loved each other now that they were here together after everything. Now that they were here dancing in each other's arms to their own Music.

Shiki noticed, idly then, that their music was becoming more and more in tune, as Neku flitted around the keyboard with her.

Years Later, Shiki would, embarrassedly, blame the endorphins one got from exercising for her random outburst of, "I love you, Neku!" But she would gladly take full credit for the ice finally melting in his eyes at her words, and the low fire that began to burn there, as he kissed her head and whispered against it," Love you too, Shiki."

As Shiki closed her eyes in delight, and just stood still in the perfect moment with Neku (she wanted to be perfectly still so this moment would never end), Neku ended up kissing her eyelids blissfully, but though he didn't touch her lips yet, it was enough. Everything was always more than enough with Neku.

And so they stayed there until the establishment closed. Having fun, but never once leaving each other's side.

And for the first time since the Game, Joshua found that there were no negative emotions coming from Neku and Shiki. Only the positive ones a person had when being reunited with their Entry Fee. Even more so, in being reunited with the one they loved.

And so, it seemed Neku Sakuraba hadn't been the only one to change, after all. And there was much more than a little hope for Shibuya. Smiling to himself, the Composer began mentally began searching for a wedding planner…

**Author's Note: Happy, Happy Birthday, Sherwin! I truly hope you love this piece, as I worked really hard on it, and I know you love NeShiki. Hahaha. Love you lots, and hope to hear from you soon. **

**-Shan**

**P.S. I might just end up lengthening this to add other themes from Wishing-Fire's challenge. This was just too much fun, and I need to write more NeShiki.**

**Please feel free to review.**

**Also, I didn't mean any disrespect to Twilight. I'm actually a fan of it (and if anyone feels the need to review to say Twilight sucks, or I suck for liking it, don't even bother), but it was a punch line I couldn't exist. LOL. **


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